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It was almost a flawless outing from Xabi Alonso's squad, as they overcame their arch-rivals by a 2-1 scoreline in the famous derby to stretch their advantage in first place of La Liga with a five-point cushion.

Jude Bellingham notched his first league goal along with setup of the season after a challenging few months recovering from a shoulder operation.

Kylian Mbappe continued his lethal form in front of goal, while Alonso's tactics during his debut Clasico on the sidelines functioned like a charm.

However the Vinicius Junior question reared its head once more.

Unhappy with being substituted, Vinicius protested on his way directly past Xabi Alonso and marched to the dressing room, then reappearing on the sidelines several minutes.

Alonso System Delivers Results for the Midfielder

For a debut Clasico, Alonso did well, given that the majority of Real's last eight bosses lost their debut league encounter against Barcelona.

After the relaxed method from the previous coach did not deliver last season, his structured approach yielded an important victory.

A specialist noted, The strategy worked brilliantly. Real Madrid were impressive, and the visitors were off-color due to what Real Madrid were doing.”

When not in possession, they pushed up as much as possible, if overcome, they tracked back in a structured manner, all players even the forward.”

Their defensive setup in two layers spaced by 5-10 meters. Barca were unable to break through.”

This approach looks to be good news for Bellingham, who previously had been tasked to do everything in the engine room and beyond.

On paper the 22-year-old played on the right, but in practice he was allowed to drift inward and link with Mbappe or enter the box.

The analyst stated, “By using Eduardo Camavinga in the middle, you get greater energy and more ways to close down the spaces.”

“That forced them to position Jude wide right. Certainly he would have been asked to track the forward's positioning on the ball and had space, and he located him repeatedly.”

“He was asked to enter the area and position himself near just outside the box, where he poses a threat. Additionally, he moved centrally to block central spaces and cause the opponent's play tough.”

Conflict Issues Laid Bare

Undoubtedly that Madridistas adore Vinicius, his name rang out on several occasions by the passionate Bernabeu crowd.

Yet recently there were countless reports lately that Real Madrid would consider allowing his departure if the right offer arrived.

The winger will have one season to go on his deal when this term concludes, yet negotiations for an extension have stalled.

The player's reaction to being replaced with 20 minutes left indicated strained relations. After the full-time whistle, he had to be restrained as he attempted to confront Lamine Yamal.

The expert noted, He will face backlash and rightly so, because it showed disrespect toward his replacement who replaced him.”

“But since being a kid, he has existed in a hostile world, and he believes that he faces opposition.”

“That mentality is tough to overcome, notably when you feel close to being the best player, and the organization drives the axis towards Mbappe as the star.”

“This season he's felt that the organization is not defending him. Rumors indicate, potentially club-sourced, or unchallenged by officials, that they would be open if someone paid €250 million to sign him and sell him.”

“He feels all that, and when the coach substituted him – fairly, because Vinicius stopped dropping back as required – in Vinicius' head he questions ‘why me, why me again?.”

It may be challenging to reconcile between the club and him now.”

Barca's Approach “Struggles”

Having triumphed in all four of last season's matches, this outing highlighted their uncertain beginning of the season.

Injuries have robbed the Barcelona coach of key players such as Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, and the tactical setup is not effective without them.

Balague stated, “It's like the whole team lack sharpness defensively, with less desire to win it back, softer to reclaim the ball.”

“It's easier to create chances against them. If the defensive line is not organized, like on the first goal as Balde kept him onside, they are not helped by the midfield and forwards not closing down opponents in possession as expected.”

Lamine Yamal, the main threat of Real last season, was well contained.

“Their stars did not perform well. The youngster appears he's in good form, possibly because of a groin issue